12 Dangerous Food Additives
Many substances can be added to the foods we eat to enhance color, texture, flavor or preserve it. The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has a database containing several thousand approved additives; however, not all of them are items that you would willingly consume. The following is a brief look at 12 food additives of which you should be aware.
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Fat/Oil Preservatives
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Propyl gallate is a preservative used to prevent oils or fats from going bad and may increase cancer risk. It can be found in meat products, vegetable oil, chicken soup base, chewing gum, and potato sticks, and it is often combined with butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT).
BHT and BHA have a similar use to propyl gallate. They are used to prevent rancidity in fats and oils and can often be found in chewing gum, vegetable oil, cereals, potato chips and even in some food-packaging materials. These substances have been found to cause cancer in laboratory rats.
Baked Goods Additives
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Potassium bromate is a food additive often used to help create a more desirable crumb structure and to increase volume in rolls and breads. Most bromate is metabolized into bromide, a harmless substance; however, any remaining bromate has been found to cause cancer in laboratory animals. Bromate has been banned everywhere in the world with the exception of Japan and the United States.
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Flavor Enhancers
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Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is an amino acid commonly used as a flavor enhancer. It can be found in myriad foods, including soups, hot dogs, salad dressings, canned tuna, potato chips, sausages, certain spices, baking mixes and ice cream. It is often legally disguised under the umbrella term "spices" or as autolyzed yeast extract. Many consumers are sensitive to MSG (it can cause headaches, vomiting and nausea). It has been linked to health risks such as obesity, behavioral issues, cellular damage and certain endocrine disorders.
Acesulfame-K is a super-sweet artificial sweetener (approximately 200 times sweeter than sugar). It is used in soft drinks, gelatin desserts, chewing gum and baked goods. The substance has caused cancer in laboratory rats. The substance is metabolized into acetoacetamide, which has affected thyroid function in laboratory animals.
Fat/Sugar Replacements
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Aspartame, the sweetener otherwise known as NutraSweet or Equal, has been studied for decades and has been shown to cause brain tumors in rats. Many consumers are sensitive to the substance and can experience dizziness, headaches and hallucinations after ingesting it.
Olestra (or Olean) is a fat substitute used in potato chips and crackers. It is a synthetic fat that your body will not absorb. Instead, it passes through, often causing loose stools, abdominal discomfort, flatulence, diarrhea and anal leakage. It can also reduce your body's ability to absorb fat-soluble nutrients like beta-carotene, lycopene and lutein.
More Additives
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Sodium nitrite is used as a preservative. It also offers color and flavor to lunch meats, corned beaf, hot dogs, ham, bacon, smoked fish and processed meats. It can cause your body to form nitrosamines, which can cause cancer.
Hydrogenated vegetable oil (also partially hydrogenated vegetable oil) undergoes a process that creates trans fat. This creates increased risk of diabetes and heart disease and can be found in baked goods, salad dressings, margarine, bread, vegetable shortening and more.
Food colorings like Blue 1 and Blue 2, Red 3 and Yellow 6 are food additives used to color beverages, baked goods, candy cherries, gelatin, and sausages, and they even can be found in pet food. Each has been linked to health risks such as increased cancer risk, with Yellow 6 also linked to kidney tumors and adrenal gland dysfunction, and each contains traces of several carcinogens.
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